One of the most important firms in Latin America, WEG is a Brazilian multinational company specializing in electrical engineering, automation, and energy solutions. Founded in 1961, it is one of the largest global manufacturers of electric motors, drives, transformers, and automation equipment.

Based in Brazil, Suzano is a global leader in pulp and paper that is looking to diversify beyond its core activities and become part of the green economy. A merger with Fibria in 2019 leads to a major restructuring. As the company celebrates its 100-year anniversary in 2023, attention turns to framing a vision for the century to come.

The English Tea Shop Organic (ETS) brand has created a sustainable ecosystem that supports suppliers’ livelihoods as well as its competitiveness in the market. In 2021, it embarked on a second 10-year plan, aiming to become a sustainable, employee-owned business with a purpose-driven brand, and by 2022 30% of the company was employee owned.

The case focuses on Haier Europe, a branch of Haier Smart Home and part of the Chinese Haier Group, and how it applies RenDanHeYi, a unique management model that explains the group’s extraordinary rate of growth amidst fierce competition, with an intense focus on the local customer and keeping costs low.

This short case describes how Ana L. Mamede, Hellmann’s brand manager at Unilever Portugal, responds to an aggressive campaign by rival Kraft Heinz by developing a brand “purpose” for Hellman’s mayonnaise focused on reducing food waste.

Tom Hermans, CEO of EMMA Safety Footwear, is excited about the idea of developing the world’s first circular safety shoe – one that adheres to the cradle-to-cradle design principles. This could be a transformational strategy, differentiating EMMA from the crowded safety shoe market in Europe and extending a long tradition of social responsibility since its establishment in 1931.

The case describes the creation and evolution of Brazil’s first low-cost airline – GOL. From the outset GOL was driven by innovation and within a few years of operating had become the country’s leading airline. Although initially a low-cost carrier, over the years it became increasingly customer-centric, striving to improve the customer experience by removing the pain points of air travel.

The case study traces the development of FC Barcelona’s Innovation Hub (BIH) and its plans to go global. It describes how factors on and off the pitch led to the launch and how the BIH is preparing the club for the future at the centre of an ecosystem that includes prestigious brands, universities, start-ups, and athletes worldwide, all linked by a culture of excellence.

With the globalization of wine, the wine industry in Portugal has experienced a major shift from a local to a global focus over the last 30 years. Quinta do Vallado, one of the major players in that process, has seen exports double (to account for 40% of revenues) and a 10-fold increase in foreign markets (from 5 in 2000 to 48 in 2020).

In the non-alcoholic beverage industry, barriers to entry are low as production is relatively easy. Although thousands of new drinks flood the market each year, the non-alcoholic segment provides fertile ground for innovative start-ups. In a mass-market dominated by big players, branding is key.

Thirty years after being founded by CEO Marco Stefanini, Stefanini is one of the largest providers of ICT services in Latin America. Unlike most Brazilian (and Latin American) companies, Stefanini has focused on international markets for many years.

The case describes how Spanish entrepreneurs Daniel González de Vega and Javier Arroyo founded Smartick with the aim of tackling the poor level of math education in their native Spain. Smartick is a self-financed enterprise that combines social impact with profitability.

The case describes how the Pro-invest Group – a boutique investment firm specialising in private equity real estate and real estate asset management – built its business and raised a first-time private equity fund.

BlaBlaCar, Europe’s foremost ride sharing company, was founded by Frederic in 2006. An online market place where drivers “sell” seats in their cars for long distance rides, it allowed the drivers to cover their motoring costs and passengers access to cheaper travel.

Emerging markets are challenging and require special expertise. India in particular is known to be a tricky business environment. The case follows two senior executives from Alvarez & Marsal’s India practice as they deal with an urgent request from one of their US private equity clients, Sapphire Capital.

Vendex KBB is at crisis point at the end of 2004, especially its flagship V&D department stores. A consortium of private-equity investors led by KKR, who bought the business a year earlier, persuade retail veteran Tony DeNunzio to take on the challenge of turning the diversified holding company around.

Case A describes the creation and growth of Nuru Energy. Starting from nothing, the founder 'bootstraps' a social venture with the goal of providing affordable and effective lighting solutions for 800 million people without access to the electricity grid in sub-Saharan Africa and India.

Case A describes the development from concept to production of the world's first and smallest hand-held espresso machine. It shows the importance the role of prototyping plays in developing an innovative product, capturing the phases and decisions involved along the design path.